Apparatus and method for handling capsules



R. E. MOULE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING CAPSULES March 13, 1951 2 Sheets$heet 1 June 23, 1947 Filed ll'll llllllll fiz'vntor .7362: E Jfouie March 13, 1951 R. E. MOULE 2,545,299

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING CAPSULES Q Gig s @T MM n . W I x fvvenfo'r' 56:24 E. JfouZe 5 M Patented Mar. 13, 1951 2,5

r 2,545,299 APBARATU S. AND METHOD CAPSULES; I

E; Moul'e, Worcester, Mass; assi'gnor toNortom Company; Worccsten. Massn. a: corporationof Massachusetts 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

EQR. HANDLING Application June 23, 1947;. Serial No. 756,570

This invention.relates toan apparatus and a method for handling; setting and cooling capsu'l'es; Ithas for one obiecttoprovide a method and apparatus for use in connectionwith capsulating machines which produce filled capsules. The capsules may be formed of gelatinous or other material and contairr liquid or solid filling material. Such capsules, when formed, require specialhandling to preventsticking together, breaking; marring' or distortion; and it is one object of the invention to provide an apparatus and a method whereby the capsules, as formed; aredeposited on a conveyor and are treated automatically and continuously so that-they are -set and: cooled asm'ade;

@thenobj'ects will: appear. prom time to time throughout the specification and claims.

This invention is illustrated more or lessdiagrammatically in the accompanying: drawings, wherein:

Figure 11 is a. planiv-i'ew with parts broken away and-partsomitted 1 Figure: 2 is a side elevation of the structure shownin: Figure 1 with parts omitted and parts broken: away Figures is a; section illustrating a modified form or the: device;

Figure 4- is a transverse section taken at line 4 '-4- ct Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the con veyi'ng apron.

Like parts are indicated by. like characters throughout the specification and the drawings.

In the term shown in Figures 1- and 2; a. pair of tanks I, I is provided and: heat.- exchangers such as cooling coils or. other cooling. means 2, 2 are arranged within the tanks l. Cooling or refrigeratihg fluid reaches the coils 2 thr'ougl'a a pipe system which includes the pipes 3. The-invention is not limited toany particular cooling or refrigerating means and any suitable coolant or refrigerant may be used.

Baskets 4 of suitable size and strength are arranged to fit into the tanks. They may be provided with strengthening edge members 5. The baskets are of such depth that when in position within the tanks I their bottoms are below the level of liquid in the tanks.

One or more draining trays or drainboards 6 with raised edges 1 are associated with the tank system and each draining tray is provided with a spout or drain conduit member 8 arranged to return liquid to one or another of the tanks,

I. If desired, the trays 6, 6 may be made as a unit and separated from each other by a mem- 2i her 9. These trays may be made as a single unit withoutthe separator 9; Suitable supports [0, F0are-provided forthe trays and thetanks may besupported in=any manner desired.

In" the modified-form of Figures 3, 4" and 5, con tinuous means for receiving, treating and discharging the capsules are provided. The mechanism of the last three figures includes one or more tanks llcarriedon supports IE, or otherthe chains I- 'F and may be further supported by a transversestifiening members 20 which extend from one chain to the other.

Ateach end the chain I l is. engaged upon sprockets 21 which are supported. onshafts 22 in bearings 23. The sprockets are notched or otherwise shaped; as at- 2'4; to engage the rollers or, if desired, toengage th'e chain links or the trans verse members 217. Oneof the sprockets may be carried ona support 25' and the other may be carriedon a support 26 which is itself supported on the tank II. A box orcontainer 27 may be providedto receive the capsules 28 as they are discharged from the container;

In bothforms of the invention the tank or tanks contain a liquid which is preferably 0001. One suitable cooling liquid is kerosene,- and the capsules asfbrmed are deposited or d'roppeddirectly from the machine which forms them into theta-mks I or' the tank ,H. The capsules thus are immediately after formation immersed in a liquid which prevents their sticking together and prevents damage or breaking of the capsules. The invention is not limited to the use of any particular liquid in the treatment of the capsules. They may be treated in one liquid after another. For some purposes naphtha might be used, but it evaporates too rapidly for economical use. Carbon tetrachloride is useful but tends to be injurious to workers. Kerosene is mentioned merely as one of many different liquids into which the capsules may be deposited as they are formed.

Other hydrocarbons are suitable in addition to kerosene. In some cases after the capsules have been cooled in the hydrocarbon fluid they must be subsequently washed with naphtha.

Although I have shown an operative form of my invention, it will be recognized that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and my showing is, therefore, to be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows:

In the form of Figures 1 and 2 the capsules are preferably dropped directly into the tanks I as they are formed. They may fall directly from the capsulating machine. Since the baskets are below the level of the liquid within the tanks I,

the capsules fall first into the liquid and-aslthey ,f sink through it, they come to rest on the baskets.

They then may be lifting the basket out and depositing the basket on the tray or shelf 6. Whilethebasket is resting on the tray 6 the kerosene or other liquid is free to flow away from the capsules through the basket and onto the trays. It'then may be re- .turned by the spouts-or guides '8 to the-tanks; The capsules, after cooling in the liquid within the tank, may be washed,- dried, sorted and removed from time to time'by sules into a cooling fluid is important because it prevents them fro-m sticking together and it also tends to cool the capsule and particularly the hot seam formed about the periphery of the cap- 'sule in its gelatin shell. If this is not cooled promptly, experience has shown that pressure inside the capsule may pull the seam apart somewhat, making it weak or in some extreme cases actually breaking it. It is important that this seam be not weakened or broken because after the capsule has beenshipped, any weakness at the seam may develop into a leaking capsule in the field, and dropping the capsules into a proper cooling fiuid as'soon'as they are made tends to prevent this. Furthermore, if a capsule does break after it is formed, the liquid of the bath prevents the .released filling material of the "broken capsule from contaminating other capsules.

I claim: '1. Apparatus for-treatingcapsules of the type "comprising -a fi11ing enclosed in a shell of soft packed. The particular apparatus shown and the method disclosed are not'limited to any definite after treatment or-after use of the capsules after they leave the mechanism,

In the modifiedform; of Figures capsules are deposited intothe liquid and sink downwardly through it andare picked up by the moving conveyor screen l9. The size ;of th'e' tank II and the speed of the conveyor are such that the capsules have been pioperl-yset; cooled-and cleaned before they are lifted from the' liqu id by the conveyor. They thenmove over the tray or shelf I3 and the keroseneor other liquid in -which they have been treated drains-iromthemand 3, 4 and-5thecapsule-shell-forming material after their formation by a capsulating machine, comprising a tank forga liquidbath, said tank being open at its top so that capsules discharged from a capsulating machine may drop directly into the bath, a heat exchanger for maintaining the liquid in the tank cool, a basket'in the tank for carrying capsules immersed inthe bath, said basket being movable into and out of the tank, and a drainboard leadreturns downwardly along-- the inclinecl -tray l3 1 and is returnedto the tank l l. Einally,;as the conveyor continues to move the capsules fall from it and are deposited in the containeror box 21 from which they may be removed'when desiredfor drying. v I

While kerosene has been mentioned as a-suitable treating liquid, the invention is not limited to that material.' Almost any cool'liquid will produce a beneficial result, because it-cushions the fall of the capsules and prevents their strik ing directly upon each other. As they sink through the liquid their speed is arrested so that they do not come'violently in contact with each other as they are collected either in the baskets 4 or on the conveyor l9. 'Kerosene'is merely one of a variety of suitable liquids for re ceiving the capsules as they are formed; Itprevents their sticking together.

The step of dropping the newly formed caping to the tank for returning liquid drained from the capsules back to the tank when the basket is moved out of the tank.

2. Apparatus for treating capsules of the type comprising a filling'enclosed in a shell of soft capsule-shell forming material, such as gelatin, after-their formation by a capsulating machine,

- comprisinga' tank for a liquid bath, said tank being open at its top so that capsules discharged from a capsulating machine may drop directly into the bath, a heat exchanger for maintaining theliquid in the tank cool, a basket removably carried in the' tank for receiving capsules and carrying them immersed in the bath, and a drainboard toward-one side of the tank'draining into the tank for supporting the basket upon its removal from the tank to permit liquid to drain from the capsules in the basket back into the tank. I REX E. MOULE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS -2379,317 Mabbs July 3,1945 

